Synthetic source rock with tea

Abstract

A synthetic source rock including roasted tea powder and inorganic material. A technique for preparing the synthetic source rock, including grinding tea leaves to give tea powder, roasting the tea powder at a roasting temperature to give a roasted tea powder, and determining composition and porosity of the roasted tea powder.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 grinding tea leaves to give tea powder; 
 subjecting the tea powder to thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA); 
 roasting the tea powder at a roasting temperature to give roasted tea powder for inclusion in a synthetic source rock, wherein the roasting temperature is based at least in part on results of the TGA; 
 determining composition of the roasted tea powder via elemental analysis; and 
 determining porosity of the roasted tea powder. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises chemical composition. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , comprising mixing the roasted tea powder with inorganic material comprising minerals. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , comprising mixing the roasted tea powder with inorganic material comprising at least one of silicate, aluminosilicate, or carbonate. 
     
     
       5. A method of preparing synthetic source rock having tea, comprising:
 drying and grinding tea leaves to give tea powder; 
 determining composition and porosity of the tea powder; 
 roasting the tea powder at a roasting temperature to give a roasted tea powder; 
 determining composition of the roasted tea powder via elemental analysis; 
 determining porosity of the roasted tea powder; and 
 forming a synthetic source rock comprising the roasted tea powder. 
 
     
     
       6. A method of preparing synthetic source rock having tea, comprising:
 grinding tea leaves to give tea powder; 
 determining chemical composition of the tea powder via elemental analysis; 
 determining porosity of the tea powder; 
 specifying a roasting temperature via thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) of the tea powder; and 
 roasting the tea powder at the roasting temperature as specified to give a roasted tea powder. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 drying the tea leaves at a temperature of at least 70° C., wherein the tea leaves comprise leaves of a  Camellia sinensis  plant; and 
 filtering the tea powder via a sieve to remove particles from the tea powder. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the particles comprise a particle size greater than 300 microns (μm). 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , comprising specifying porosity of the roasted tea powder. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , comprising realizing a specified porosity of the roasted tea powder via specifying the roasting temperature. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 6 , comprising determining composition of the roasted tea powder via elemental analysis. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 6 , comprising drying the tea leaves under a vacuum in an oven for at least 12 hours at a temperature of at least 70° C. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 6 , wherein grinding the tea leaves comprises grinding the tea leaves via a ball mill. 
     
     
       14. A synthetic source rock comprising:
 roasted tea powder comprising a structure analogous to kerogen in a subterranean formation; and 
 inorganic material comprising minerals. 
 
     
     
       15. The synthetic source rock of  claim 14 , wherein the roasted tea powder comprises tea leaves as ground and roasted, and wherein the synthetic source rock corresponds to actual source rock from the subterranean formation. 
     
     
       16. The synthetic source rock of  claim 15 , wherein the tea leaves comprise leaves of a  Camellia sinensis  plant.